Lift My Sorrows
by KeeperOfTheEggplant
Summary: Zim is acting weird lately. He can't seem to take his eyes off of Dib. What will happen when a volleyball-related injury brings them closer together? This summary is an epic fail I know


I struggled to pay attention to Ms. Bitters' dull lecture about how the sun was destined to explode, destroying Earth in the process. At least it's Friday, I thought. In just a few hours I could go home and immerse myself in my paranormal studies. Suddenly, out of the corner of my eye, I noticed that Zim was staring at me.

My face began to feel a bit warm. Why was my arch nemesis looking at me like that? Fortunately, at that moment the bell for recess rang. As the children stampeded out the door, I observed that Zim hadn't moved. He seemed lost in thought.

"Zim! Dib! Go outside and join your fellow classmates in their useless frolicking!" Ms. Bitters barked, startling us both. "Yes, ma'am." We said in unison. I trudged slowly out the door, trying to ignore Zim's presence, despite the fact that it was strangely difficult. As soon as we got outside, I hurried over to my usual spot underneath a tree at the farthest corner of the playground. Zim, to my relief, wandered off to a nearby bench and produced a pencil and a piece of paper from who knows where. He began scribbling something onto the paper, occasionally flicking his eyes over to me and then back to the paper.

I sat down on the grass and leaned my back against the tree to think. Why was Zim acting so weird today? It was starting to creep me out. Usually he either tried to make my day even more miserable or he just ignored me completely. But today...BAM! A volleyball flew out of nowhere and hit me square in the face. I instinctively grabbed my face in pain, feeling blood ooze out between my fingers. A few yards away, Torque Smacky and a few of his friends were laughing and high-fiving.

I was about to go over there and give them a piece of my mind, but Zim beat me to it. "How DARE you!" The little alien shrieked angrily, looking ready to kill them with his bare hands and eat their bodies with ketchup. He proceeded to slug Torque in the gut, followed by a well-aimed kick to his crotch. Torque screamed and fell to the ground screaming and holding his injured privates. His friends, afraid for their own reproductive organs, ran like the devil was after them. With a final glare at Torque, he went back over to the bench, grabbed his paper and pencil, and stormed off.

I sat still, not believing what I had seen. Zim had just...stood up for me. I decided to go find him so I could thank him. After a few minutes of searching I found him sitting behind a bush behind the school building. "Zim?" I began uncertainly. He jumped a bit but relaxed when he saw it was me. "Yes, Dib-worm?" He asked, looking up at me. "Um...What you did back there, um...Thanks." I said, feeling nervous. "I-it was nothing." Zim said hurriedly, blushing. "No, it was a lot," I continued. "No one's ever stood up for me before."

Zim stood up, clearing his throat before answering. "Well, I had to teach them that only ZIM!!! is allowed to torture you," he said, overemphasizing his name like always. "Um...ok." I said, not sure what else to say. "Well, bye, I guess." I said, starting to walk away. "Wait! Don't go!" Zim cried frantically, grabbing the hem of my trench coat. "Why?" I asked in confusion. "I'm a little...lonely today." He said after a moment. Zim got lonely? Wow. Could've fooled me.

"Um...ok." I said again, going back over to the bush and sitting down beside him. "So how come you're lonely today?" I asked curiously. "Well, Gir was malfunctioning last night so I had to turn him off to prevent him from doing something even more reckless than usual. I planned on working on him this morning, but I woke up later than usual, so I didn't have the chance." He explained. "So, basically you're lonely because your psychotic, destructive, idiot robot isn't working right?" I asked, thinking that would be a good thing. "He's not an idiot!" Zim said hotly. "He's just...special." He added. I laughed. "That's a good way of putting it, I guess." Zim nodded. "It's just not the same without him running around screaming about monkeys and tacos." He continued a bit sadly. "Oh. I'm sorry." I said, not knowing what else to say.

We sat in silence for a few minutes. I don't know how it happened, but I suddenly felt his hand fall into mine. He continued looking around, acting like he hadn't done anything. But for some reason, I didn't really mind it. Trying not to sound surprised, I began to ask, "Um, Zim, what are y-mmphh!" My words were cut off by a pair of soft lips. My eyes bulged, but when I saw how happy he looked I couldn't bear to make him stop. Besides, even though part of me was screaming that this was wrong...I kind of liked it. Zim's lips were so soft and gentle, and he wasn't doing anything else. I forced myself to kiss back and found myself in heaven. I couldn't help but want just a little bit more. I pressed my lips harder to Zim's and squeezed his hand. Zim moaned very softly, apparently enjoying this just as much as I was.

"We should go..." I said after we had reluctantly parted for air. "Recess is probably over." I started to get up but Zim grabbed my hand, pulling me back down. "I don't care." He said firmly. "I haven't been this happy in centuries."

My eyes widened. "Centuries?" I repeated in awe. "Just how long do Irkens live?" Zim thought for a moment. "Let me think...The oldest Irken I ever knew was about two...no, one...thousand years old." I almost choked on my own air. "Wow...That's incredible!" I exclaimed. "Yes, I suppose it is, compared to you puny worm-babies' life span," Zim said with a smirk. "Hey, it's not our fault we're lucky if we make it to a hundred!" I said hotly. Zim became more serious then. "Actually, it is." "How?" I asked in confusion. "Think about it. All you humans ever do is sit around drinking and smoking and doing drugs. How is that healthy at all?"

I had to admit, Zim had a point, but I was still a bit riled up, so I blurted out, "Only the dumb ones!" "Well, most of them..." I corrected myself quietly. Zim snorted. "And just how many smart people do you know who do those things?" He demanded. "Just one..." I said, lowering my eyes. "Who?" He asked skeptically. I hesitated. Could I tell Zim the secret I had never told anyone before? Finally I decided that I would.

"M-My dad." I confessed softly. Zim's eyes grew wide as he began awkwardly patting my head. I realized after a moment that this was his way of trying to comfort me. It felt nice knowing that someone seemed to care about how I felt.

"He told me and my sister to never tell anyone, because if people found out he could lose his job." I continued, feeling disgusted with my father. "Every day after he was done working he'd go smoke weed or something. More than once the smoke and fumes caused an explosion in his lab, but if anyone outside the family asked about it, he'd just make up some excuse like an unbalanced mixture of chemicals or something. Once he even blamed it on me. He said that his son's low intelligence sent off 'stupid rays' and sometimes 'upset the balance'."

Suddenly, without really even knowing why, I threw my arms around Zim and broke into tears. Within moments I was sobbing uncontrollably with my face buried in Zim's chest. "God, I just hate my life!" I screamed, my voice muffled by the fabric of Zim's shirt. Zim was stiff at first but after realizing just how upset I was he slowly wrapped his arms around me and laid his head on mine.

"Don't cry, Dib. Please." Zim said softly, stroking my hair to calm me. It actually felt pretty nice. Finally, after several minutes, I managed to stop crying.

"I just wish I knew what I ever did to deserve such a horrible existence..." I said with a small sniff. "Everyone hates me just because I'm different." Zim was quiet for a moment. "Everyone hates me for the same reason. Well, except Gir of course." I thought about what he'd said. Now that I thought about it, everyone did hate Zim. I had never stopped to think about how he must feel...

"I don't hate you, Zim. I actually like you a little. I always did. I just never really showed it because I didn't want to seem weak..." I confessed. Zim looked shocked. "How can you not hate me? All I ever do is torment you and screw up all your plans to expose me," he said in confusion. "To be honest, you always reminded me of myself...You didn't have any friends, but that never stopped you from trying to do what you set your mind to. Even when you failed, you just tried again and again, no matter what anyone thought, and I admire you for having those rare qualities."

Zim looked thoughtful. "We're more alike than I ever realized..." He said in wonder. I nodded, suddenly wishing I could kiss him again... As if reading my thoughts, Zim gently lifted my chin and pressed his lips softly against mine. After we parted, he leaned down and whispered in my ear, "I love you, Dib-worm." I smiled. "I love you too, Zim."

If things stayed like this, then maybe both our lives would get a little better.


End file.
